Self-enlarging-puncture firearm target



Feb. 27, 1968 w. KANDEL.

SELF-ENLARGING-PUNCTURE FIREARM TARGET Filed Feb. a, 1965 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Giitice 3,37%,352 Patented Feb. 27, 1968 3,379,852 SELF-ENLARGING-PUNCTURE FIREARM TARGET Walter Kandel, 4159 N. Overlook Terrace, Portiand, Greg. 97217 Filed Feb. S, 1965, Ser. No. 439,933 5 Claims. (Cl. 273`1t)2.1)

ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A sheath of elastic material having a target design on its front face is stretched over a stiff backing sheet of target material having a front face of highly Visible color contrasting with the color of the outer face of the elastic sheath. Upon puncturing the elastic sheath with a bullet, it retracts selectively in the area of the puncture and forms an enlarged opening which reveals a substantial area of the highly visibly colored backing sheet.

This invention relates to firearm targets. lt pertains particularly to a firearm target suitable for use at long range, wherein the bullet puncture area automatically enlarges and becomes readily visible as the 'bullet passes through the target.

A well known problem is present when target shooting with conventional targets in that the bullet punctures through the target are almost invisible to the marksman as he stands some distance away from the target. Hence he has no way of knowing how well he is shooting until he inspects the target at close range. For this reason it is common practice in long distance target shooting for the marksman to shoot a few rounds and then move over to the target on foot, or in a vehicle, to inspect the results 0f his marksmanship.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a tar-get which, when punctured, reveals an enlarged puncture area which is readily visible even at a substantial distance.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an easily readable target which is inexpensively manufactured and which is usable in accordance with the usual target shooting practices, but much more eiiciently.

In essence, the firearm target of my invention comprises a stiff backing sheet of target material having front and back faces. A face sheet of resilient material such as rubber is secured marginally in stretched condition across the face of the backing sheet. The face sheet is marked on its outer surface with a target design.

The front face of the backing sheet is of a highly visible color contrasting with the color of the outer face of the face sheet.

Hence when the stretched face sheet is punctured by a bullet, it retracts selectively in the area of the puncture, forming an enlarged opening revealing a substantial area of the brightly colored front face of the backing sheet. This materially increases the visibility of the puncture from a distance.

The herein described method of making a firearm target basically comprises providing a backing sheet of target material and a sheath of rubber or other resilient material open on at least one end. The cross sectional dimension of the sheath is somewhat less than that of the backing sheet. An outer face of the sheath is marked with a target design so dirnensioned that when the sheath is stretched to the dimension of the backing sheet, the target assumes its normal proportions.

To assemble the target, the sheet is stretched to a dimension slightly greater than that of the backing sheet. The backing sheet is inserted in the stretched sheath, which thereupon partly is relaxed to overlie the backing sheet in stretched condition. The open ends of the sheath may .be sealed if desired.

When the stretched sheath is punctured by a bullet, the area around the puncture selectively will retract to reveal the underlying base sheet, thereby increasing the visibility of the bullet hole in the manner described above.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a plan View of the self-enlarging-puncture firearm target of my invention in one of its embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional view of the firearm target, taken along line 2-2 Of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a continuous elastic sheath which may be used in the manufacture of the firearm target;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the sheath of FIG. 3, stretched over a target-forming base sheet, illustrating the method of manufacture of the firearm target of my invention; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are fragmentary plan and sectional views, respectively, illustrating an alternate form of the target, FIG. 6 being taken along line 6 6 of FlG. 5.

The target includes a base sheet 1G made of target forrr1- ing material. This may be stiff cardboard, a thin board, a sheet of wood composition board, a piece of sheet metal, or any other suitable structural material of the selected dimension. The base sheet may be of any suitable shape, as square, rectangular, or round. Preferably it is round, to provide uniform stretching of an elastic sheath 12, which encases it.

Sheath 12 is made of rubber, thin plastic, or other stretchable elastic material. lts cross sectional dimension is somewhat less than that of base sheet 10. lts outer face is imprinted with a target design 14.

The face surface of the base sheet 10, and the outer or target surface of sheath 12, contrast sharply in color. For example, the face surface of base sheet lll may be brilliant fluorescent red, While the outer surface of sheet 12 may be White. Surface colors of black and white on the respective members also furnish good contrast.

To permit insertion of the base sheet in the sheath, the latter is provided with at least one open end. Accordingly the sheath may be stretched to a dimension larger than that of the base sheet, the base sheet inserted in the open end of the sheath, and the sheath then permitted to contract around the base sheet. The open end then may be sealed shut. In the form of the invention shown in FIGS. l and 2, the sheath originally had two open ends, and two seals 15 result upon Vulcanizing or gluing the end edges together.

A unique and effective method of mass producing the herein described firearm target is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

This method contemplates the use of a continuous elastic sheath 16 which may be furnished in a rolled strip, printed on its outer surface with a plurality of target designs 18. The shape and dimensions of cach target design as it appears on the sheath in its relaxed condition of FIG. 3 are predetermined so that when the sheath is stretched to its final dimension, the target will be composed of uniformly spaced, concentric, circular lines 14, as appears in FIG. 4.

In assembling the targets, elastic sheath 16 is stretched, preferably one target area at a time. This may be accomplished by inserting arms into the opposite sides of the sheath and then spreading the arms. A base sheet 10 is inserted in the sheath and the arms removed, whereupon the elastic sheath contracts to t the base sheet.

The resulting partly finished target then may be severed from the strip of target sheaths by cutting along dotted line 2i?. This results in the separation of a target in which the two ends of the sheath remain open as illustrated at 22 in FIG. 4. The open ends then may be sealed by vulcanizing them or gluing them, and trimmed to form the nal product illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, described above.

This sequence may be repeated to produce the targets in rapid succession. Y

When the target is penetrated by a bullet, the result illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 occurs.

When the bullet strikes the target, it penetrates in succession the front or target side of sheath i2, base sheet 1%, and the back side of sheath l2, forming openings 24, 26, 28 respectively. Thereupon the stretched sheath immediately will lretract selectively in the area of the bullet punctures, enlarging the openings. In the form of the invention illustrated in FGS. 5 and 6 the extent of enlargement of sheath 12a in the area of the puncture will be limited by integral ribs i7, thereby preventing involvement of an excessively large proportion of the sheath area.

Enlarged front openings 24 thus will reveal a substantial area of the face surface of base sheet it?. Since this surface is brightly colored, the bullet puncture is rendered readily visible even from a great distance. The marksman thus is able to determinethe accuracy of his shooting from the marksrnans stand without frequently moving over to the target to View it at close range.

It is -to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A irearrn target comprising (a) -a stii backing sheet of target material having front and back faces and (b) a face sheet of elastic material marginally secured in a stretched condition across the front face of the backing sheet and marked on its outer face with a target design,

4 (c) the backing sheet front face being of a highly visible color contrasting with the color of the outer face of the face sheet,

(d) the stretched face sheet being under such tensiony and of such an elastic and resilient material that, upon being punctured by a bullet, it retracts selectively in the area of the puncture, forming an enlarged opening revealing a substantial area of the iront face of the backing sheet, thereby increasing the Y visibility of the puncture from a distance.

2. The firearm target of claim l wherein the backing sheet comprises a stiff sheet of cardboard and the face sheet comprises a sheet of rubber.

3. The firearm target of claim 1 wherein the face sheet comprises an elastic sheath stretched around the base sheet. Y

The fire-arm target of claim 1 wherein the face sheet comprises an elastic sheath stretched around the base sheet, the sheath in its unstretched condition being of smaller width than the target, and being imprinted with a target design of distorted character predetermined to assume a series of concentric, target-forming circles when the sheath assumes its stretched condition. Y

5. The firearm target of claim 1 wherein the face sheet is divided into a grid of sheet areas defined by integral ribs, thereby restricting the opening area formed by retraction of the sheet upon being punctured by a bullet.

References Cited FORElGN PATENTS 419,646 1li/1934 Great Britain.

ANTON o. oEcHsLE, Prim@ Examiner.

M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner. 

